Seal for locks



l. A. MCCORMACK- SEAL FOR LOCKS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 1. 1919.

Patnted Sept. 7,1920.

Opene |'B y UaTe Place m m 7/4 /7/./ l%//////A IRA A. MQGORMACK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SEAL non. Locks.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept 7 1920 Application filed March 1, 1919. Serial No. 280,071.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IRA A. MCGORMACK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Seals for Locks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to a class of devices adapted to be used in conjunction with locks.

My invention has for its object primarily to provide a' device or seal adaptedto be employed 011 looks, especially of types known as padlocks which are commonly made with a casing having a shackle operable by a key, whereby the breaking of the seal will be required, in order to permit insertion of the key in the hole of the casing of the lock, and which is of aform to allow a record to be kept of the oflicial breaking of-the seal prior to subsequent opening of the look so that in event of surreptitious breakage of the seal the act may be readily detected. This is accomplished mainly by the provision of a fragile plate having a body or surface portion, and the plate is adapted to be removably mounted on the casing of the look so as; to cover the key hole of the casing, while on the surface portion' may be provided a record of the con tainer as well as allowing a record to be kept of the oificial breakage of the seal and opening .of the lock. Retainingmeans are also provided wherebythe movement of the shackle of the lock when closed on the easing will cause the plate to be engaged in a manner so that its breakage will be re quired to obtain access to the key hole.

A further object of the invention is to provide a seal of a simple and eflicient construction which is adapted to be made of any suitable material in any desired shape and size.

With these and other objects in view the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and will'then be pointedout in the claim at the end o'fthe description.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is an elevation of one form of lock having parts of the .retaining means for removably holding my improved seal thereon, the shackle of the lock being 1n an open position.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the lock with the seal applied thereon, and which shows the I shackle in a closed position.

Fig.3 is a perspective view of the seal pro er.

*ig. 4 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of another form of lock with a slightly modified type of the seal applied thereon, the shackle of the lock being shown in an open position.

Fig. 6 is a similar View showing the shackle of the lock in a partly closed position.

Fig. 7 is a sectional 7-7 of Fig. 3, and I Fig. 8 is an elevation of a record card adapted to be carried ,by the seal.

The device or seal has a fragile element or View taken on the line plate 10 made of porcelain, metal or other suitable material whereby it may be severed or broken with comparative ease by the use of a suitable implement, and this plate may be of any desired shape and size so as to be applied 011 the casing, as 11, of lock, preferably of a form commonly known as a padlock, as 12, having a shackle or bolt, as 13, which is self-locking when closed on the casing. In the casing the usual hole, as 14, for insertion of a key to unlock the shackle, and'the fragile plate 10 has a body or surface portion 16 to allow of a suitable record, as 17, to be inscribed or otherwise provided thereon whereby a record may be kept of the number of the seal as well as the number of the container, date of ilpplylllg' the seal on the lock, and the nameof the agent or person who fixed the seal on the look. In the face of the surface portion 16 of the fragile plate opposite to the indieia 17 may be a recess, as 18, for removably holding a card or the like, as 19, on which may be inscribed a record of the opening. of the breaking of the seal and opening of the look by the authorized official or. person.

The surface portion 16 of the plate 10 may be of a shape and size to extend from the end of the shackle 13 which is pivoted to the casing of the lock to a part of the casing so that the plate 10 will cover the key hole 1 L of the casing. Retaining means of any suitable type may be employed for removably holding the fragile plate on the casing of the lock over the key hole, though I prefer to accomplish this purpose in a manner best adapted for the type of lock to which the fragile plate is applied. For example, when the seal is designed for use on the form of lock shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the retaining means consists of providing on the pivot 20 of the shackle a head, as 21,

which protrudes beyond the wall of the easing ll of'the lock having'the key hole 14. The head 21 of the pivot 20 is preferably substantially rectangular in shape, and this head is provided on the pivot so that its underside is spaced from the casing. Protruding from the casing 11 of the lock and in spaced proximity to the key holel l is a fixed pin 22 having on its free end a head 23 which is also spaced from the casing; lntegrally. formed on one part of the fragile plate 10'is an extension member 241 having an aperture 25 therethrough, and this aperture is substantiallyrectangular in shape as well as being. of a size to freely accommodate the head 21 of the pivot 20 of the shackle of the lock. Also integral with a part of the plate opposite to the apertured extension member 2a is a protruding notched member 26 which is of a size to freely accommodate the part of the pin 22 of the casing of the look under the head 23 of the 'pin. The surface portion 16 of the platelO,

apertured extension member 2 1 and the notched member 26 are of combined SlZCS as well as being relatively arranged so-that when the plate is disposed on the casing 1.1

- of the lock to cover the key hole 1 1- the plate may be guided whereby thepin 22 will be disposed in the notch of this member and so that the rectangular head 21 of the pivot 20 of the shackle of the lock will protrude unlocked positions by being swung crossthrough the aperture 25 of the extension member24l of the fragile plate. The pivot 20 of the shackle of the lock and theaperture 25 of the extension member 2 1' are so relatively located that when the shackle is swung open from the casing of the lock the head 21 of the pivot 20 will be positioned to allow the head to pass through the aperture 25' of the extension member 24: when the plate is disposed on the casing, as above ex-v plained, and when the shackle is swung to a closed position on the casing the pivot 20 will be rotated sufiiciently to position its rectangular head 21 crosswise of the rectangular aperture 25 of the extension member 24- of the fragile, plate 10. The seal will then be held on the lock against accidental displacement as well as being held so that breakage or severance of the plate will be required, in order to allow access to the key hole of the lock to be obtained.

The seal may also be designed for use in' conjunction with the form of lock shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in which lnstance the shackle or bolt 13 1s movable to locked and wise'of a notch, as 26, provided in the part of the casing 11 opposite to the key hole 1 1. Protruding from the part of the shackle which is movable in the notch 26 is a pin 27 extending out of the notch for some distance beyond the wall of the casing having the key hole, and this pin 27 terminates with a head 28. Also projecting from the wall of the casing in proximity to the key hole 1 1 is a second pin 29 having a head 30 which is spaced from the casing. The pins 27 and 29 provide the retaining means for releas ably locking the fragile plate 10 to this form of lock, and adapted to coact with th se pins, on one part of the surface portion 16 angularly curved terminal portion, as 33.

The notch 32 is adapted to receive the part of the pin' 27 under its head 28, and the curved portion 33 of the notch is arranged,

to allow the pin to move thereintowhen the shackle is closed to a locking position on the casing of the lock, the head .28 of the pin 27 being, larger, as shown, than the width of the notch 32. Integrally formed on the part of the surface portion 16 of the plate 10 which is opposite to the U-shaped extension member 31 is another substantially Ushaped extension member, as 3 1, to provide a notch, as 35, for reception of the part of the pin 29 under its head 30' This form of the plate 10 is applied to the lock by the shackle 13 being swung to an-open position at which time the pin 27 will also be guided outwardlyof thenotch 26 of the casing 11 of the lock. The plate 10 is then arranged on the look so that thepin29 is seated in the notch 35 ofthe'extension member 3a of the with the notch 26 0f the casing ofthe lock.

When the shackle 13 is moved to a locked position in-the casing the pin 29 willpass first into the notch 32 of the extension mem ber 31 and afterward into the curvedpart of this notch. The plate 10 with its extension members 31 and 3 1 will thereby be reinovably held on the lock so that breakage of the plate will be required before a key is inserted in the hole of the casing for unlocking the lock. Prior to applying the plate 10 to the lock in the recess 18 of the plate may be pla'cedthe card 19 on which maybe designated the date and place when the lock wasopcned-as well as the name of the person operating thelock.

In the foregoing. description, I have eming myself thereto as I amaware that modiiications may be made therein without dc.- parting fromthe principle or-sacrificing any of theadvantages of this invention, there fore I reserve to myself the right to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent A seal for a lock, comprising a fragile plate including two apertured extension members, said plate and members being adapted to be applied on the casing of a lock having a key hole as well as a shackle, a fixed pin with a head protruding from the casing in spaced relation to the key hole for being engaged by one of the apertured members of the plate, and a pin rotatable in the casing with the opening and closing movements of the shackle, said pin protruding from the casing and having a head over which the second apertured member of the plate is guided so that with the closing movement of the shackle on the casing the plate will be caused to be removably held on the casing by the pins whereby breakage of the plate will be required to obtain access to the key hole..

This specification signed and witnessed this 28th day or" February, A. D. 1919.

IRA A. MOCORMACK.

WVitnesses':

- D. J. KOEPER,

FREDERICK CRYER. 

